


Through The Digital Window

by Hawkkitty44



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, Bad families are bad, F/M, Family Abuse, One Sided Love, Only Fred is a good parent whoops, Religious Content, There will be fluff, Underage - Freeform, Underage Webcame, not positive religion content really, webcam
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-28
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2019-12-25 17:38:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18266183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hawkkitty44/pseuds/Hawkkitty44
Summary: Archie Andrews and Betty Cooper are next door neighbours and what most would assume to be best friends to lovers in the making. But they are not. They are barely even friends bar the occasional wave through the window. One day however Archie stumbles upon a link to a camming site that has him wondering just how perfect the Cooper family is.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So this idea hit me and I just wanna see where I can go with it

Your first thought when you wake up says a lot about what kind of day you are going to have. It’s something about getting your mind in the right zone, and well something about having positive thoughts from the get-go but Archie didn’t really listen to his dad that much over breakfast. The morning thought for today is Jughead like, food. All about the food he could smell his dad cooking downstairs. A small grin crosses the redheads face as he inhales and if he begins to drool than who could blame him for being a hungry hormonal teenage boy right?

So, he is leaping out of bed, nearly stumbling as he does so but both feet are on the ground, and his ass is not on the floor, so it is, in the end, a win. His room is dimly lit, the light from the rest of his house is what he has to go by as the thick woollen curtain he has blocking his window is doing its job. Bending down as he walks over to the window, he picks up a pair of boxers, and lazily he slips them onto his underwear-clad legs. Why might you ask? To spare the prudish next-door neighbour the sight of his nether regions?

As the curtain is pulled back the sight of the girl next door neatly adding the stray bits to her hair into her ponytail is the only answer Archie will never give. She notices him instantly; eyes were drawn to his brown ones like she knew they would be upon her once more sooner or later that morning. They crinkle around the edges amused, and as he returns the sentiment, he finds his hand raising on its own. The wave is barely there, but as she finished with her hair, she is returning the sentiment.

“Archie, I know boys tend to spend special time in their room in the morning but if you want me to call jughead here so you can finish the food— “his dad starts but Archie is already alert, and Fred probably can barely finish without laughing.

The blonde young neighbour laughs, and as Archie turns a shade red, he doesn’t know if saying anything right now could possibly ease his awkwardness. With a wave goodbye, he is pulling his curtain closed once more and turning around to face the door he breathes a sigh of relief he doesn’t have to look like an idiot in front of her for at least a moment. Oh, right it was probably better if he didn’t let his dad get the chance to yell something else out.

“Hey, dad I just gotta quickly get changed, so um yeah hold on okay” Archie instructs in the sternest voice he can.

If he could see his dad right now, he probably would be laughing, but as Archie could not, he just assumed that he would hear something when he went down for breakfast. Looking for a shirt isn’t hard as the one just by his bed seems clean enough. Slipping it on it’s quick to be put under the letterman jacket he carefully folded on his drawer the night before. With a sniff to his jacket, he is quickly adding some deodorant and cologne onto him.

The prepacked bag he placed on the entryway to his room is a blessing as he picks it up and leaves. Half running along the hall he can feel his dad telling him to slow down and not even to consider running down the stairs in a similar way. Half running down the stairs was okay as long as he did so quietly, he reasoned. Smelling the food, he can’t believe how much better it smells downstairs.

Rounding the kitchen corner, the sight is as familiar as it could be, it wasn’t exactly a long-played practice but since summer began it would be soon enough. His dad is sitting by the end of the table, coffee in his hand glasses atop of his glasses and he is looking down the newspaper that is half gripped in his other hand. Barely any of the pancake stacks is cracked, and there is plenty of crispy bacon on the plate, and the tomatoes look amazing.

“Archie, I know you can eat with your eyes, but sometimes you have to eat with your mouth too,” his dad says, and as he looks back to his father, he notes he does so with an easy smile.

Laughing a moment and rolling his eyes Archie is trailing over to the fridge so he can grab some juice, the coffee that his dad had left could be best used to the other commute. Pulling out the orange juice he is dragging a cup from the cupboard above the sink.

“You know dad if you want me to bring Jughead food you could just pack the food you know I’m going to give him in the container” he teasingly notes with a chuckle. Pushing the orange juice container back into the fridge he trails to the spot next to his dad. It was his spot no matter how old he got he supposed.

“Son, if I stop trying to be subtle how will you learn how to pick up on subtle hints,” his dad says with a charming smile before going back to his coffee.

Maybe his dad had a point, he wasn’t exactly the best at understanding hints nor sarcasm but well. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that his dad was worried about Jughead to some degree. So, he’s shoving some food in his mouth, and as he looks to grab another piece of bacon, he notes that his dad at the very least had brought a container down for him to put the food in. It’s hard to hide his smile but as he doesn’t bother to hide it, he doesn’t care to hide things from his dad wasn’t something he really tried to do anymore.

“Almost time their champ,” his dad says gently.

Looking up at the clock hanging over the two of them he nearly chokes on his bacon as he realises how close he is cutting it. Legs swinging off his chair he gets caught on a chair leg, but as his dad laughs lightly, he doesn’t fall over. Shoving the food into the container his bag is quickly opened and the food that is placed in there.

“Don’t wait up for me this afternoon dad; I have football practice” saying this Archie is swinging his bag on his back.

“Run fast, throw high son” Fred proudly says, and it almost makes Archie ache with how much hope he has in his eyes.

Nodding to the others advice he is saluting the other off as he makes his way over to his front door. His car keys are quickly grabbed, and as he opens and closes the door, he instantly finds himself looking over to the Cooper household. Both cars are already gone. Swallowing thickly, he almost doesn’t know what he expected to see. It’s a quick walk over to his car, and as he opens it, he’s quick to toss his bag to the bottom of the car. A smooth purr of the engine makes an all summer long fix up worth it.

School isn’t quite the first destination, if anything he is driving away from the school. The drive-through is a familiar sight and as he stops the sight of the raven-haired boy in front of him is also a familiar sight.  Jughead is quick to pull at the handle, and he is swiftly putting the bag he was carrying on the floor in front of him.

“You know Jug I wouldn’t mind picking you up from your house right” Archie smoothly asks as the other is clicking his seat belt into place. It is a conversation they’ve had plenty of times, so the other doesn’t have to think long before he responds.

“But if I did that then we’d never have this easy start-up point in our conversation. Patterns are important to me you know that Arch” he teases and as he does that rare smile, he never shows Archie lets the worry that was building up in the back of his head go.

“Speaking of patterns Jug, you will never guess who accidentally made too much food—I swear there’s something about my dad that just makes portion control impossible” and if he is horrible at lying the other is reminded every day as he says the same thing.

So, the other is pulling out the red head’s bag from the back seat, and as he opens it he is pulling out a flask that is no doubt full of the coffee Archie didn’t drink. That was something his dad hadn’t done yet. Maybe his old man could surprise the pair every now and again. Silently noting that he would remind his dad that he was going to talk to him about sneaking things into his bag the other is pulling out the food.

Like clockwork the other is quickly devouring the food, if you didn’t know the other, you’d think the other didn’t eat by the way he shoved the food into his mouth. Talking to the other would be pointless for the moment, as he goes from stuffing his mouth full of food and taking mouthfuls of drink. So, with pressure on the pedal the pair are driving towards Riverdale high, they should make it one time, but they always seemed to just make it in time anyway.

 

 ><

 

The grass is rough on his knees as he skids to catch Reggie’s long throw. Either way, he catches it, and as he puts his hand in the air with excitement, the other is doing the same with a wide grin on his face. It wasn’t time for practice yet, but the pair couldn’t help but at the very least warm up with Reggie’s ball before it started. An empty field was a hard one to find on the school as various teams seemed to be always wanting to book it in whatever spare school time they could. That was the type of school Riverdale high was he supposed.

Reggie is whistling in the direction to something Archie has his back on, and he is reminded of what kind of person his friend was sometimes. Sighing annoyed he couldn’t help but turn around to at the very least see who Reggie was looking at. Blonde hair, blue eyes and that ever-present pink cardigan that seemed to cover all of her arms. Betty Cooper, the girls next door and daughter of perhaps the most renown name bar the Blossoms in the school.

Bushy brows are drawn together as this is the only time that Archie had seen the young woman come anywhere near close to this field. She isn’t part of the cheer group; it’s that clear as she is getting a warning from Cheryl about something. Oh, the girl next to her someone Archie had never seen before seems to be talking to Cheryl. There is something about seeing someone speak to the redhead with a similar level of sass that makes Archie grin.

“Who do you think she is, doesn’t look like she came from the town over” Reggie notes this and Archie doesn’t really think much into what he means by that. Standing next to Archie now Reggie isn’t making any play to snatch the ball either. Interesting.

Standing up Archie holds the ball under his arm, and he can’t bring himself to look away. The tanned girl is shaking her head at Cheryl before turning around to walk Betty over to the bleachers. It takes her a moment to calm Betty down it would seem, but it isn’t too long till she’s trailing back to Cheryl.

“Dude you gotta let me talk to her first” Reggie states simply, and as Archie looks over to look Reggie in the eye, he can just feel his eagerness.

“If you try to maple her dude, I will be the first to punch you in the face” half joking and half serious he can feel the other chuckle next to him.

“I’m an asshole but dude she looks like she could punch me harder” Reggie teases and while Archie is halfway between saying something sarcastic back Reggie is hitting the ball out of his arm, and he is running away with the ball.

“You are so going to get it Mantle” he yells, and as he is about to run after the young man, he dares a look back. Wide blue eyes stare at him, but he doesn’t think she means to look at him, so he chases after Reggie once more.

 

 ><

 

The shower is a welcome pain to his muscles as he rubs the water into his skin; the light hisses are met to no-one in the empty locker room. When did he get to be alone like this? With just him and his thoughts in a place that wasn’t his room or the garage? The silence was golden as he looked to the shower head and he welcomed the blast to his face. Though he can’t stay in the shower forever and as he turns off the shower and trails back, his clothes are just as easily put on as they were off.

A sound can be heard from the hall, and with a grin, he knows without a doubt who the mysterious person was. So, he doesn’t bother with his locker; the bag could stay where it was as well at least for the moment. Keeping close to the lockers he is going to try his best today to surprise the other. And as he walks to the edge, he knows he already has lost as piercing eyes look up to meet his.

“Hey, thought you’d be another ten minutes in there. You know that the shower room has more germs than it has soap, right?” Jughead jokes.

“And you know that you can just come into the locker room, it’s not like you haven’t seen what is in there before Jug” Archie retorts.

Jughead doesn’t say anything, and the silence feels awkward, but it’s not long before Jughead is rolling his eyes and wrapping an arm around his stomach. “I would, but the stench of all that sports stuff almost affects my apatite” saying the last part with a bit of emphasis.

Rolling his eyes, he is waving the other off. “Can’t have that now can we Jug” and yes, he is on the verge of laughing. “I’ll be a moment I just have to grab my bag and stuff”.

The other doesn’t say anything as he walks back into the locker room, but at the very least, he knows the other will be where he was when he comes back. His bag is lighter with sporting clothes in the wash, so it’s just pushing his water bottle into his bag.

“Hey Archie, I know I said nothing as you walked in, but I don’t like hanging out in the hall either” he dryly said.

With a grin, he’s tossing his bag on his back and rushing out there. Jughead looks annoyed but the smile beneath the surface is there, and the redhead knows it. Walking down the hall Jughead is quick to join him.

“I know you don’t have any plans on doing it, but you have done the technology homework right?” Jughead asks as they reach the end of the hall.

“I can’t do it until I update my security program and I don’t have that kind of time right now Jug” Archie whined though he knows the excuse is stupid and he can’t help it okay.

“Yeah well Archie don’t be surprised when you get another virus” Jughead replies and while Archie knows he should take the other serious he just can’t.

A virus? Nah. That was for people who went on the internet looking for stupid things. At most he went on YouTube and Facebook so why should he be worried about that kind of stuff?

“So, Jug I have to ask you, how does it feel to have the weirdest hat in school yet again,” Archie asks clearly not in the mood for another computer safety talk.

“I must say, my dear pal, it has to be the best weird feeling in the world” he states in that Jughead smug way.

 

 ><

 

Sprawled across his bed his laptop is opened widely and as he lazily clicks around the screen, he wonders how life could be so simple yet so fun? Ignoring what Jughead said to him about the safety software there wasn’t much to do but scroll around his Facebook. He wasn’t friends with everyone at school just most of the football team and their friends. So, you could say the redhead was surprised when he got a message request from someone; he was friends with.

Clicking the notification, it’s a simple question yet he is thoughtful. A survey? It didn’t seem to be anything too weird he noted. The link is highlighted in blue, and the other did ask him pretty damn nicely. Biting at his lip, he clicks on the link. And yep it is a link to absolutely nothing. Did he just fuck up?

Turning off his laptop it’s a stupid hope, but surely the virus that he could have gotten couldn’t like to affect his stuff if it wasn’t on, right?

It’s an hour later, and he can’t help but turn it on once more. The screen loads, and it seems to look normal. With a smile, he managed to at least not get a virus. So, he opens the internet up and like some cruel irony tabs are flooding his page, pop-ups are filling it up more so. Porn, porn, porn and porn fills his screen.

In immediate action, he is closing as many tabs and pop-ups as he can, but it’s hard when it’s never-ending. Then like nothing could add to the weirdness he sees those blue eyes.

“Betty?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit more of a dark tone? But I hope it doesn't feel too off ;3

Harsh golden rays greet him before he even opens his eyes. Flinching is his first reaction, and as he does so, he cannot help himself as he falls off his bed. The thud thankfully doesn’t get his dads attention so at the very least he is just left with a sore hip. A hand roughly gripping at his hip his other goes to his bed, he doesn’t quite pull himself up straight away lingering on the floor for a moment. What had he seen last night? Shaking his head that was by far the last thing Archie should be thinking about. Though how could he not think about it?

As he rubs his now even more sore hip, standing did not seem to make the poor thing feel any better he looks to the window next door. The sudden awakening from the curtain pulled open while alarming at the very least meant he didn’t have to pull them back this morning. Today he is greeted with something different. However, the thick light cream curtains that hid to the sides of the other windows are pulled to cover it. It’s a stupid feeling of surprise, but as the redhead furrows his brows, he can’t quite remember the last time they had been drawn.

Had they not always been open in the morning? They were at the very least when he pulled his own open in the morning. Maybe the blonde woke up before him usually, to pull the curtain open for the comfort of the morning sun. Well, comfort felt weird to call the thing that almost burnt his eyes but who was he to complain when he forgot to close them the night before. It feels like centuries standing there by his bed, eyes glued to the curtain they do not seem to even flutter in the morning breeze as he stares at it.

The morning wave didn’t seem to be happening this morning. Lightly frowning he is strolling over to his drawers, clothes from last night are on it as he was too lazy to have a proper shower. Biting at his lips, he decides to himself that maybe a shower would help wipe his thoughts away from the night before. There was a slim to none chance of it working, however, but as he is pulling out his clothes, he can’t deny that he is hopeful it would indeed work. Putting the dirty lot of clothes under one arm, and clean under the other is trailing out of his room and towards the bathroom. As he walks down the hall, he hears the sound of his father cutting, most likely to start breakfast and the sound of the coffee machine humming.

It’s a set of sounds that make the young redhead pause; he stands there halfway between the bathroom and the kitchen awkwardly. How the familiar felt hollow in the small absences. So, he continues to walk like that too is the last thing he should be thinking about. Walking into the bathroom, it is quickly locked even though it’s just him and his dad and he throws his clothes lazily to the side. It barely goes into the mesh basket, but it goes in, and it’s enough to make the young man lightly grin.  Clothes are dumped on top of the counter, and as he starts to peel off his clothes, he turns on the water to heat it up.

A careful hand reaches out to touch the trickle of water, his fingers bending and stretching relishing in the warmth that was the water. His hair is the first that faces the brunt of the water, and as he closes his eyes, he plunges his entire body into the water. What had he seen last night? When he didn’t listen to his friend's words, and he stupidly clicked that fake survey link. Pop-ups of porn were the usual virus thing he had gathered from his best friend, and well of course them threatening and holding your information on ransom. Though in the flood of nude and lewd images there stood something he never thought he would see.

Clicking off of it was harder than the rest as her sad blue eyes filled his screen, and well, of course, he tried to delete it for only worse images to spread across the screen. There were injuries, blood and some bruises though he could not bring himself to scroll down and barely even wanted to look at the first couple of images. Was this a sick prank? That was all he could think as he saw them and closed the page. Someone is harassing Betty as some sick game. Why Betty? Of all the girls from school she seemed to interact with people to a minimum, and when she did, it didn’t seem mean.

What was he though? Someone who had looked at her in a state she did not ask him to, grumbling to himself he almost felt sick at himself. Looking up to face the water the slight pain of his eyes facing the water almost felt soothing in the moment. Who would he talk to? Logic said to talk to the police but as he thought about it more what if they couldn’t help? What if they made things worse for Betty? There wasn’t any guarantee it wasn’t done by someone related to the police.

He was rubbing his skin painfully red. Dropping his hand away from his arm he couldn’t believe he had rubbed his skin so harshly. Looking to the mirror, there was at the very least blessing of his jacket, with a tired smile he tried to look okay.

“Hey, bud I know showering is a rare thing for teen boys, but you gotta come down and eat” his dad yells.

The shower taps are turned off, and as the flog fills the air, he almost feels barely there. Rubbing his face, the other hand goes to grab his towel.

“Kinda ironic coming from you, last weekend doesn’t ring a bell” Archie yells back rubbing the towel onto himself. With a light wince, he realises that he should rub quite so harsh.

“All I remember at the moment is how good this food looks, and well, damn I don’t want to eat all of it” he can practically hear his father grin as he talks.

Maybe he should challenge his dad as see if he could, though Jughead. Walking over the towel is quickly placed up, and in a made rush he is pulling and zipping his clothes up. With just his redshirt he glances to the mirror, blotchy dark red stands out even on his lightly pinked skin. So, his jacket is even more of a must and the gentle, soft thing pulled on his arms is a perfect hiding place. As he walks through the halls this time he doesn’t linger, instead he storms through them and into the kitchen where his dad is waiting for him.

This time he had pulled out the juice for him. Picking up the bottle swiftly he barely manages to unscrew it and shove his mouth on it before his dad is looking at him like he’s crazy. Or annoying. Probably both. Taking a couple of mouthfuls, he is swiftly putting the lid back on and its back on the table. Taking a piece of French toast, it is quickly being shoved into his mouth.

“My bag” he choked remembering that he didn’t bring it down with him.

“Just get it, and I’ll pack your lunch for you okay” his dad gently says and with that Archie is grabbing another piece of toast and is hightailing it back up the stairs.

His bag is laying next to his bed, laptop filled with probably a lot of viruses’ on his bedside table. Half reaching out for it he doesn’t shove it into his bag as much as he pushed it further along on the desk. He would ask Jug what system he should use to fix it but asking the other to do it for him felt selfish when he didn’t listen properly in the first place. Zipping his bag open he is quickly shoving things aside, mind racing as he is double checking, he has everything he needs. The thermos he didn’t take out probably shouldn’t be there.

Taking out the thermos the bag is once again zipped up and is thrown on his back as he loops them around his arms. Moving his shoulders up and down he is trailing out the room, though as he reaches the door, he sneaks a look behind him only to see the curtain is still once more in place.

The older male is true to his word, and there are three sets of food bundled in an easy to carry bag. Not entirely what he meant but when was the last time he and Jug didn’t have something from the nearby shops? His dad doesn’t say anything as he walks closer; he is tucked away in a newspaper and a cup of coffee. Still, Archie smiles and he gently puts his bag on a seat so he can tuck the food in his bag.

“I’m gonna take some coffee” Archie states and his dad doesn’t need to say anything as he probably already knows whatever more he could say.

Snapping open the thermos the coffee flows in smoothly, the sugar next to the pot is ignored as is the milk as Archie is putting the lid on once more once the thing is properly filled. As he turns his head around, he realises his dad is looking at him.

“I love you, you know, that right? I’m so proud of you, and I know things haven’t been the easiest with your mum and me but. I hope you know things will get better” he says it like he’s sure things will, but Archie wants to believe his dad more than anything.

With a tight smile, he nods. “And before I’m late to go I love you to dad; I’ll see you later tonight”.

His dad is smiling, and Archie almost doesn’t want to leave the room. Though as he holds the thermos with a bit more of a grip, he is waving goodbye for the day.

Opening his car, the thermos is quickly placed into the cup holder. Clicking his seatbelt into place he is leaning over and turning on the radio. Soon enough music is playing, and as he puts his hand on the wheel, he is driving away. It’s only a short drive, but as he sees Jughead in the distance, he breathes a breath he had been holding onto for what had felt like years. Before he stops, the music is turned off.

The other is opening the door as he slips into place, his bag being placed under him Jughead is quick to put his seat belt on. An unusual silence falls upon them as Jughead looks at him; he looks a bit lost himself. Though that is quickly masked and as they begin to drive towards school Archie doesn’t know how to start his questions.

“Is it hard to track a website? Like for location stuff” Archie asks and as he grips the wheel, he doesn’t dare to ask more than that. Jughead was perhaps the only person he could ask but the last thing Archie wanted was to get the other in trouble.

“Archie if someone has made some sort of malicious website against you, I think it would be for the best I take a look into the website myself” he suddenly says in perhaps the most intense passion he has ever said not about food.

Maybe he should have asked the question better. At the very least the other was eating and he couldn’t be too distressed. Drumming his fingers on the wheel, he can barely try not to look stressed about how he is feeling.

“It’s nothing like that; it’s just something I was curious about. Well, there is this one website that. Well, it isn’t some website trying to attack me Jug, I just want to know where it’s from”. Archie as he tries to explain it wishes he knew better terms on how to describe it?

“I mean I do have a program, but I’m not sure if you need something like that” Jughead says it slowly almost unsure and he is putting a sandwich in his mouth. “I’ll send you a link”.

“Thanks, dude, hey you think you could also send me an anti-virus thing?” And as Archie asks this, he can feel a bit of relief in seeing Jughead’s sneaky smile. Did this give Jughead enough reason to explain Archie’s behaviour? Telling him nothing felt horrible, but surely this guilt at only giving him slight knowledge was just foolish.

“Only if you can promise to buy protection”.

He defiantly would.

<> 

“Archibald Andrews, the future football star turned bum on the couch if you want to stare at my practice you could at the very least buy a ticket,” a swift voice says and the tone well. It could only be Cheryl. Looking up the redhead indeed noted that it was the head vixen herself.

Somewhere in the middle of football meeting he had found himself looking over the Cheerios. /Maybe he was looking at them a bit intensely but as he looked around the stands, he couldn’t see Betty and it made him concerned? /. Realising that indeed he was needed in front of him, Cheryl did not look any happier with his silence.

“Listen I know we share a field with you guys, and yeah sure you guys don’t run into our area. We have things we need to work on, and it would be nice if we could do it without getting weird looks from you” she said simply and well how could Archie argue against that?

Nodding he’s standing up off the bench and well he can’t really argue so he might as well try to get his head back in the game. “I hope you have a good practice,” he says simply with no sarcasm at all.

“Oh of course” she mutters as she is making her way back across the field. Part of him wants to look back at the other side of the field, maybe in some way he had just not have looked hard enough. Though of course, he told Cheryl he would so he would at the very least not do it for now. The rest of the group is doing a simple exercise, they hadn’t been officially approved for the team, so it was more getting ready for if they did.

The waiting was killing him. All he seemed to do was wait; the wait for answers was the worst thing he thought. Reggie is tossing around the ball with Jake and as Reggie sees that Archie is indeed not on his ass, he is smiling widely. The young man is waving him over and who is the redhead really to refuse an offer at throwing the old leather skin around right? So he’s running over and as Jake throws him the ball, he swiftly catches it.

“You trying to see where Veronica is too huh,” Reggie asks as he prepares to catch Archie’s throw. To be fair, he does catch it perfectly once Archie does. “New and already skipping practise, I like that. I think” he jokingly states as he prepares to throw the ball to Jake.

Veronica, the new girl from New York? His shoulders ease as he finds some comfort in hearing she wasn’t there. If she wasn’t there why would Betty be? The two seemed to have been talking the time before so Betty was probably just not interested in being there without her. She wasn’t somehow aware of what he saw last night. God the hot flare of guilt hits his stomach hard. Not quite as hard as the ball that he somehow manages to catch off guard.

“What do you know about her Reg? Let me guess you’re poking your head into the gossip groups to hear all you can. She’s not easy you know” he thought. Plus, well he was the others moral backbone at times, and well as hard as it was, he wanted to keep the young women of Riverdale high as un-harassed as he could. His dad taught him well he liked to think.

“I’ll have you know; we might have the same class. Same class equals class time, which equals roll call” Reggie doesn’t sound offended it is just something he is used to Archie telling him he supposed. “And yeah I think she might have almost hinted I could get her number.”

Jake starts laughing and as anyone who knew Reggie knew sometimes, he was overly positive when it came to the understanding of how people took his flirty remarks. “How about you get into the team, and well we see from there whether or not her asking if you knew where next class was equals a date okay”. Jake well, was tougher when it came with calming down Reggie’s hopeful dating heart, but it was the toughness Archie didn’t himself know how to do so it worked out for the best.

“What happened to you Archie, did you hurt yourself?” Reggie asked not quite just to change the topic. His jacket was on the bench so of course, the red mark was on the show. Maybe if he weren’t so pale it would look minor, just like a scratch but he’s not quite so lucky and it looks like he did something dumb.

“I’m clumsy and I’m pretty sure once I make it into the team, I’m gonna be crazy” Archie joked and as they took it as just a joke and they laughed Archie didn’t feel quite as awkward about lying. How could he explain it to them when he couldn’t Jughead?

>< 

When he comes home, it's late. His usual companion Jughead had to work a shift at the drive through but Archie didn’t mind having to have some time to think and drive. When had he gone home by himself? Even before he got his license, he hadn’t exactly been without Jug on the school bus. Still, he makes it home in one piece. Stopping by the door of his house the young man stays there for a moment, eyes trailing to the house next door. Surely, she would be home at the current moment.

Hands trailing to his back pocket he is pulling out his phone so he could check his email. Jughead gave him everything he needed, and well he should be able to go onto his email on the laptop the pop-ups seemed to be the worse of the attack. Turning the phone off he slips it back. Unlocking the door, he notes that he is alone.

Walking into the kitchen he notes that his dad had left him with food, maybe he was off at a work meeting? Though his dad tried to stay home as much as he could there were things, he had to do in non-school hours he supposed. Noting the food for later he is trailing to his bedroom. Tossing his bag off as soon as he could the sound of it crashing into his bin doesn’t bother him. Software, he needed to get the software and figure things out. Looking up to the window it is once again unseeable through the cream curtain.

Maybe it was for the best? So, she wouldn’t have the chance to see him look up that disgusting website. Going to the window his own curtain is covering his window soon enough; thankfully he remembered to turn on the light in the room first. Grabbing the laptop onto his bed is easy and done rather quickly. For a moment he just stares at the screen, it had loaded, and pop-ups were filling the screen, but it didn’t feel real. Ignoring clicking out of them he instead does his best to go to his email instead.

What better way of reversing the effects of a bad link he didn’t fully know than one that he also didn’t know? Though it’s from Jug and well what better way to know if he fully trusted him than now? So, it’s clicked and as the pop-ups begin to go away, the screen goes into a weird hue and well. There seemed to be something good happening is all he could tell.

Standing up he is stretching and even though it’s stupid, he is feeling anxious. Step one done, now was seeing whether or not Betty was being harassed.

It takes five minutes, but the computer is reloaded. Sitting on the bed instead of lying the redhead is opening the email and well the first link was good so he’s installing the program Jughead sent him. Now perhaps the worst step of them all. Going into his history, his heart aches as of course, the thing he was on last night is still in history. So, feeling like vomiting aside the website is loading and once more he cannot bring himself to scroll down. The program only needs a simple address to he’s inserting it and waiting for it to work.

Could it be some creepy old guy that just happened to come across Betty’s photos? Was it some sort of sick revenge? The program is loading though it seems to be having trouble. Drumming his fingers on his jaw, he can’t help but feel even grosser than the night before. Then is pings and though that almost makes him feel even more scared his eyes are taking in as much of the information as he can. Next door. It was next door. Shoulders dropping, he doesn’t know why but he finds himself going back to the internet tab.

The activity was next door. She was live.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah stuff is going down and there are some hard choices to make; big think; hope you like it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is kind of an in-between chapter? But it's a build-up to a chapter that really gets things going haha
> 
> also aesthetics by @idonkncw

A deer on an open highway, eyes open and legs scattered along the ground. Its eyes are filled with terror; a bright light shines on it in the dark night, and it is only getting closer to the creature. As dramatic as it is to say that was how the redhead felt once the video feed from the other started to load. The page looks different live so it would seem, the past clips and photos no longer present as the current feed is taking over most of the screen. If he was wondering just how many people were looking at the site before he clicked on it, he didn’t have to wonder for long as the figure was shown.

Twenty people. Twenty people were looking at an underage girl on a sketchy website. Wait, he was one of those twenty people. The feeling of remorse doesn’t ease as he takes in the fact that he hadn’t closed out of the tab yet, he should, but part of him reasons that maybe this could all still be just some sick joke someone was pulling? There was no way this was real, Jughead maybe just gave him a faulty program, and maybe there was some sick bastard using her house as a location.

Then she arrives on screen with her blue eyes filled with unshed tears and the chat begins to pour in. It isn’t long before her face is put off the screen and the focus is pulled towards bellow her shoulders, but it doesn’t matter, it was her. Betty really was on this website.

“Hey, guys, sorry I’m late tonight I got caught up with some family stuff” she sniffs, and it is as clear as day that whatever had happened did not happen for the better.

What catches him off guard is also the fact he can see her arms, he never saw her arms; he realises slowly at school. She’s pale, not quite as pale as himself but it makes sense as she had never really been tanned, but there is something more than that. Dark blooming bruises. They range in different colours, some fresh some old but they are all as equally horrifying as Betty stretches to get something out of view of the webcam.

Looking to the comments it is unfortunately not empty as people who have the strangest usernames begin to put their comments in. Shaking fingers quickly exit out of the page and he is left staring at his newly cleaned computer. This was not some sick prank; this was so much worse than that. Closing the laptop, he is sliding it to the edge of the bed.

Head facing upwards he looks to the window, and he wonders what on earth she is doing in there.

 

>< 

 

It takes him a moment to open his eyes the next day; his hair still wet from the night before as he didn’t wash his hair properly after the cold shower. Hand going through red mattered wet hair his eyes are stuck staring at the ceiling. Saturday. It was Saturday that was good right? He didn’t have to feel like shit at school and the very least.

Sitting up on his bed he ignores how his back aches, maybe it wasn’t for the best just throw himself into bed. Though last night…It wasn’t like he was in the mood to get himself comfortable the night before. The reality of what had happened the night before hasn’t quite sunken in yet, the confusion that twirls in his stomach makes him want to puke.

What would happen if he went to the police now? There wasn’t any guarantee they wouldn’t try to get Betty in trouble, for all they would know she was the person running the website and well. She wasn’t exactly legal, and the site could not in any way be legal. Why? Though he doesn’t feel angry, he feels worried.

It would seem that the night before had only fuelled on his worry, he wasn’t any closer to answering the question he had. A loud ringtone brings him out of his thought, his phone on his beside table beside him shaking. Sitting up he’s accepting the call, phone quickly pressed against his ear so he can hear the phone call connect.

“So, I was thinking we would go to pops, not to rush you but I’m pretty sure a late brunch is better than no breakfast at all my friend” Jughead greets with no sign of a good morning. They didn’t need one Archie supposed as he feels himself smile ever so uneasily.

Eating wasn’t something he really wanted to do right now. Honestly, the idea of eating made him uneasy but who was he to deny some time with his best friend right? It wasn’t like he could stew in his thoughts all day. That would make things a bit too obvious. No, he couldn’t make things too obvious.

“Jug if this is your second breakfast you know Pop will tell me right” Archie lightly teases, and he is standing out of bed and walking to his drawers.

“And if he says it’s my second breakfast, I will just say the food is great—I’m kinda known for my backups you know that” Jughead lightly groans.

He was, is. Well, he is much better at thinking of solutions than Archie seemed to be at the very least. What would Jughead do in his shoes? He would probably do something to take the site down and get Betty into a better mental state. Why was she crying?

“Arch, you okay you kinda zoned out on me. Did you forget to put it on the speaker again as you’re getting changed?” Jughead teases.

That snaps him out of his thoughts, and as he is rolling his eyes, Archie can’t help but be thankful the other gave him a way out. Explaining it wouldn’t be easy, not even to Jug. Putting it on speaker, he is putting his phone carefully on top of his drawers.

“The button glows when it has been selected, I know, I know. But I’m not gonna lie I may not always press it okay” he half lies. “Do you need a lift to pops?”.

“I’m just doing some photography nearby but I’m good, I’ll see you at the booth?” their booth. The booth that they first ever really told each other anything important besides how dumb their parents acted around them. They tip toed around each other like an old married couple.

“As if we would go to any other, I’ll be there as soon as I can” Archie responds, and he hangs up.

The sudden silence feels horrible. Well, he couldn’t stay here for too much longer, as much as the other loved pops the redhead could only really let pops eat so much of the others food. So, he is pulling off his shirt and boxers and putting on his outfit for the day his phone shoved into a back pocket as well. Blotchy red peaks from under his three-quarter shirt and he once again curses at how stupid he was. Jacket. It was okay for him to still wear his jacket.

Pulling it off its holder, it is quickly being put on his arms once more. Strolling down the hall and into the kitchen the silence is even worse down here. On the isle in the kitchen, there is a white note folded. Reaching out he is quickly scanning it over before opening it.

‘ _hey sorry had to head out for a meeting_

_I left some money for you_

_Don’t do anything I wouldn’t_

_See you tonight'_

  * _Dad’_



Barely able to contain his smile as he read is, he looks back down to see two ten-dollar bills folded gently. So, it would seem his dad would not let him get away volunteering at his work. Picking up the bills they are swiftly being shoved into his back pocket. Looking up the clock reads ten twenty. Oh, right Jughead did say it was around the time for Brunch. Eyes are searching around his house there isn’t anything he really needs to do.

So going to the fridge he pulls out a water bottle, his dad must have put them in the night before as it still has some ice in it. His keys are on the coffee table not put away properly from the night before, or well they would have been if his dad didn’t put them away. Not trying to hide his smile he is pulling the keys off the hook before he leaves the house. Locking the door his eyes are instantly drawn to her house.

There are no cars in front of it this morning, but well why would there be he supposed. It was Saturday, and for the church-going people of Riverdale, there was no way they would be at home at that moment. Maybe he might have stared at the empty house for a bit longer than he planned, a ting of a notification from Jughead tells him that much. Shaking his head, he walks to his car, and he is sitting in it, drink bottle goes into the cupholder, and he just sits there for a moment.

Pulling out his phone he gets an instant confirmation it was Jug.

_J: Hey, didn’t want to call and cause you to crash_

_Hope you didn’t fall in the shower see_

_you soon bud_

Lightly laughing he is rolling his eyes as he reads it. Jughead didn’t often text as calling was more direct and easier, he insisted, but well. Maybe he shouldn’t have told the other that he had fallen in the shower.

_A: I don’t plan on dying naked there_

_See you soon_

He texts intending to put his phone away. But the other is quick to text to see at the moment as he is probably bored out of his mind. Not in the writing mood it would seem.

_Do you plan on dying naked?_

Shaking his head, he is putting his phone on the other seat as he buckled himself up. There was a lot of things that he tried to do to make himself feel better, but well talking to Jughead always seemed to work the best overall. Pulling out of his driveway he can’t help but spare once the last glance to the house next door.

Driving past the church feels harder today, it isn’t a route he had to take per se but it did cut his time almost in half. Part of him wanted to just go a long way, make it up to Jug for the wait with an extra breakfast burger. But well. There wasn’t any way he could turn up late and not tell Jughead what was on his mind really. So he bites his tongue and barely doesn’t taste iron in his mouth as he looks at the sign of the week.

‘Thou shalt  **love thy neighbour**  as thyself.’

Whatever had happened the night before, happened even before that to Betty didn’t read as love to Archie. Was she in the service right now with a cardigan to hide the marks? Realising he needs to focus on the road he tries to ignore the feeling of dread in his stomach. The rest of the ride to pops is thankfully quick, and before he knows it, he is parking in front of pops. As he takes off his seat belt, he looks around noting the lack of people.

Jughead is easily spotted in the window; he’s looking into his camera. It’s hard to see what he is looking at, his face hard to read from this angle but Archie can just easily ask him once he goes in, so there isn’t really a reason to worry.

Leaving his car, it’s quickly locked, and his keys join the pocket with his money. The bell that dings, as he opens, is familiar, the look Jughead gives him as he looks up to meet the redhead's eyes even more so. Smiling lightly as he notes the other had indeed not ordered anything yet makes Archie raise his brow.

“I may know the menu like the back of my hand, but I can’t be the only one ordering always” Jughead provides as Archie walks to his side.

“Wow Jug, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you loved me” he teases as he sits down on the other side of the raven hair boy.

There is an awkward silence; it feels awkward maybe he was out of beat? Jughead looks away for a moment, and well the beat must be off as he isn’t teasing Archie back. Though he is soon once again looking at him with a soft smile.

“Probably for the best we give you some food before you step down on one knee huh” Jughead responds.

They don’t have to call out for Pops today it would seem as the older man is trailing towards them with a kind smile. Saturdays meant more attention from Pops, and well from the look of happiness Jug had on his face every week Archie knew he enjoyed it a lot. Soon enough he is right next to them with his note pad and a pen angled to start writing.

“I’m sure that you don’t need to be told Mr Andrews that this young man has already eaten here today” Pops starts, and as he looks to Jughead he raises his hands up.

Like a sarcastic bank rob that has been caught Jughead doesn’t put his hands down. “What can I say Pops your warm and loving personality only half fills my stomach. Maybe you should stop being so god damn loving huh” he jokes.

Pops is laughing, and Jughead is once again returning his hands to his side. Looking to the redhead Pops already seems to get the memo that Archie would be the one to decide what they would have that morning.

“Can we have the breakfast plate, the second one?” he asks, and he can tell he did okay at the very least as he can feel Jugheads eyes on him. They didn’t have it too much, so why not have it today?

“And can I have extra—can I have extra ketchup on the side” Jughead adds. The other stopping halfway through feeling Archie’s eyes on him confirmed to the redhead he was going to asks for an extra side of bacon.

“I’ll be back with your food in a moment” the older man kindly informs, the verge of laughter on his tongue but he doesn’t let himself show his amusement outwardly.

Soon enough it is just them and as Jughead turns his head around to face Archie once again.

“How did the program go last night, I’m not even going to question you were needing to track down an IP address but at the very least tell me you used the antivirus program I gave you,” Jughead asks beginning to drink the glass of water he had already seemed to have ordered.

He had his bottle back in the car.

“It was good, not as hard of a download as I thought it’d be” he responds lamely. Archie knew that he had to get it, but well that wasn’t quite what he remembered most about last night.

“What happened anyway, I know I guessed you would get a virus, but that wasn’t a challenge,” Jughead asked clearly interested in whatever answer the redhead would give him. “Let me guess porn?” he asks almost as if it was obvious.

Porn. That word at the moment made him want to puke. Staring down at the table Archie doesn’t think he can bring himself to speak for a moment. Jughead seemingly understanding what he had done is reaching out to grab his arm, but he only gets halfway there before he is putting his hand down in the table in the middle.

“Porn is gross, but well. If you accidentally clicked on some weird stuff, it isn’t something you need to be ashamed of” it’s awkwardly said, and for some reason that just makes Archie feel worse.

Sitting up in his seat he awkwardly coughs, and the other seems to understand the topic is going to change. “I was thinking that we would maybe play a game later, my dad is away and the house if free.”

He doesn’t want to be alone. The other seemingly understanding nods.

“I can’t guarantee you’ll win, but I promise I will not completely wipe the floor with you again this week” he jabs back at the redheads offer.

Rolling his eyes, he wants to laugh, and he does because it feels so good to laugh after holding back all these confusing emotions. The sound of walking alerts them, and it’s Pops with two steaming plates of food in front of them. Placing them in front of them he doesn’t wait long as he winks and is trailing back to the counter.

Plates stacked with food can’t get better than those supplied by Pops. Thick golden crispy French toast dusted with salt, juicy whole mushrooms oozing with juices of freshly grown cooked tomato, and thickly cut bacon that Jughead almost ordered more of. So how could he resist shoving a piece of French toast in his mouth?

There was something about shoving food in your mouth that just made the world go away. While he didn’t shove it down quite as fast as the raven-haired male was, he was nether the less enjoying it quite a bit.

Tomato juice was trailing down his mouth as the redhead was looking up, in front of him the beginning of the after-church rush was coming in. Feeling frozen in place his eyes are searching for the blonde he knew would be in the mix. That she is helping one of the older members sit down on one of the booths.

It doesn’t alert her, his eyes on her he is thankfully but of course, being too thankful leads to nothing but disappointment. Her parents are walking near their booth, so it isn’t too long before she’s right next to them.

“Hey” she breaths.

“Hi” he echoes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll probably be a bit slower from here on out due to uni work, but I'm really into this right now so it won't take me too long  
> 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long absence! I didn't mean for it to go this long :(   
> But the plot is picking up so I hope you guys are ready

Though the diner was filling with the sound of church folk, the silence between the trio felt deafening and all reaching. Jughead, for his part, had looked up from his large mouthfuls of food and was subtly looking between Archie and Betty. Jug knew how to read a mood, though like the redhead he himself did not always know the best way to react to said mood. Well neither did Archie as he couldn’t think of anything to say to Betty as she stood there.

The young blonde is wearing a cardigan, it is blue today, and while Archie would say usually it made her eyes look especially blue, that wasn’t what got him thinking. Just how many bruises was she hiding under that light piece of fabric? Was she feeling as nervous as he was at that moment?  No, she probably felt something over than nervous. Betty’s cheeks turn a tad red under his gaze and Archie can’t help but look down to the table at his food.

“Hey guys, I know cat got your tongue is a saying, but I didn’t think breakfast had the same effect. Are you going to sit down, Betty?” Jughead said, looking to Archie with a raised brow.

Did he seem disappointed?  No, there would be no reason for Jughead to feel that way. Jughead just didn’t like to be his social crutch. When was Jughead ever his social crutch? How out of it was Archie today? It would probably be for the best that Archie makes his awkward fake smile more real.

“I mean, well if you don’t have to sit somewhere else you can sit here” Archie continued off from Jughead.

Turning to look to Jughead he’s back into his food, probably thought his job was done starting the conversation off. Well, the icebreaker wasn’t exactly the easiest thing to do yet he had done it. So, complaining the other didn’t do more was selfish.

“I mean. Well my parents don’t need me over in the booth so I guess they wouldn’t mind. I could. I’ll sit down now” she hurries looking to Archie and Jughead.

Is her heart beating just as fast as his? It feels like it as her face is red as she puts her plate on the table. Movements slow and careful it’s hard not to find a parallel in her action from last night. Was she this careful on her website? She eases herself onto the booth chair, and she doesn’t move her plate, so she is not next to the window.

They are looking eye to eye. Archie didn’t want to question why she didn’t move to the window; it was where she sat when she sat with her parents. His hands shake as he goes to cut into the last piece of his French toast. The silence is thick and awkward once more.

“So, you and Veronica,” Archie says looking to Betty, and it’s clear that the conversation wasn’t where she thought it would go. He can feel Jugheads eyes on him, and he just knows to question him as well. “I mean, it’s nice to see you to seem to get along. Well I see you at football practice with her so I assume you do” he rushes out.

Maybe it would have been for the best if he just shoved all the French toast in his mouth instead of talking. Betty for her part looks down to her food, eyes tracing over a pancake most likely to avoid looking at the redhead.

“She’s really nice, she was in the cheer squad at her old school, so I thought I’d introduce her to Riverdale highs one. You guys need good cheer members, right?” she says bashfully not looking up to meet his eyes.

There was something more to that, her tone seemed shaky so much unlike the voice that said answers out loud in class. Was it something he said? Or was it what happened the night before, he knows he is looking at her too intently but it’s hard to stop himself.

“She’s good, at cheer I mean. Thanks, I know it means a lot to Cheryl that she is on the team” he says this softly, dumbly? There is no real meaning to his words, he is just trying to get words out. “But um, I wanted to ask if you happened to be busy. I mean on the weekend, this weekend Jug and I don’t do too much but if you want to join us?”

Jughead stops eating, well the fork doesn’t go back into his mouth and his nose flares so. Well he has already created quite the situation for himself so it would seem. The weekend was their time, it always had been, and it would always but. She needed him, and well how could he want to be apart from her when something so horrible was happening? Maybe this could help.

“Like tonight weekend?” Betty asks choking on air, thankfully Archie planned the question not when she had a fork in her mouth it would seem.

“I mean if you’re busy that’s cool, I just thought it’d be fun to maybe hang out, just us three” Archie reassures halfback tracking half not wanting to let Betty say no.

There was no way to say for sure if she had a session planned for tonight, but it was the weekend who didn’t plan their weekends and weekend nights right? Well with stuff like that it would give Betty the best time to do it Archie thought.

“I’m not sure I can, I have this thing with the church and I’m not sure how long it’ll be” the blonde admits this unsure and she finally looks up from the table.

Though Archie isn’t looking to her eyes, no he is looking to her palms which are fisted. Maybe she is more aware of what Archie thinks that he wants to believe as she is soon putting her hands down onto her lap. He never even heard her put down her fork, just how quiet can she be?

“If I can I’ll let you guys know though” saying this she looks to both Jughead and Archie with a smile that doesn’t seem quite to reach her eyes.

Before he responds there is a ding from Jugheads phone, hands are quickly emptied, and he is looking down at it. That look, it can only be his dad really. After growing up around Jughead it was hard to imagine anything could make Jughead looks that defeated and sad so quickly. Could Betty see how Jugheads eyes were glazed, but then again could Jughead notice how unsettled Betty looked.

“Sorry to cut the plan short but I need to go home” saying this he is quickly picking up his fork and leaving it on the plate. Beanie fixed he stands and like he has for all his life waited for Archie to stand up, not like he had to for long as Archie was standing up and moving to the side of the booth.

“I’m sorry Betty but I’m gonna drive him but well, I hope church stuff goes well” Archie wants to say more, ask her to come with them. But well. How could he ask such a thing?

“Same for you guys, I really hope that everything is okay” saying this somehow made the redhead feel more conflicted.

Though he looks to Jughead and he can’t imagine being anywhere else. So they begin to walk outside, it is busy but Pops manages to give them a goodbye as they walk out of the diner. Jughead hasn’t said a word, though it isn’t surprising it makes the redhead just ready the questions for when they got in the car.

What did his dad do? Was his dad safe? Was Jughead safe, that was all that really mattered in the end. As they leave the shop and the bell rings, he hears his name, it’s soft yet frantic.

“Hey why don’t you start the car and I’ll catch up” he gently asks Jug and Jug just nods and accepts the keys before walking out towards where he knew Archie’s car would be.

Walking back inside he lets the bell ring once more as he turns to look into the diner, it’s Betty. She looks like she forgot her bag on the bus almost as she runs up to him.

“I don’t have your number, or email. I, well maybe we should exchange numbers just in case my church stuff finishes early” she says this quieter than she said his name.

Would her parents be upset to hear the two of them talk? Either way Archie is clumsily grabbing his phone out and desperately entering the code of his phone. Putting it in front of her she quickly grabs it and is doing what she needs to enter her number in on her phone.

“It’s funny isn’t it” he says softly, they aren’t alone by a long shot in this place yet as he talks to her he almost for a moment fools himself into thinking so. She looks up from the phone confused and he can’t help but continue when he has made her so confused like that. “That we only talk now, that I have your number now after all the years we have lived next door to each other”.

She turns red at this. Had he been not the only one that was trying to look into her life? No she was going through something he could never understand, this feeling he felt was selfish.

“Archie—” she starts but Archie can’t stay long because Jughead is in his car waiting and he doesn’t know what is going on with FP and he can’t stay. He doesn’t want to get her in trouble.

“If you need anything, anything at all calls me okay” instructing her softly he can tell she wants to protest, tell him not to worry but she doesn’t say anything at all. “I hope you have a lovely church activity” he says softly, if he were a gentleman or a braver man, he would kiss the top of her hand but instead he just accepts his phone back.

“Thank you, really. I. Well I hope everything is okay with Jughead” though he knows she means it there is something else just beneath the surface of her words he can’t pull out.

Slipping the phone into his back pocket he runs out of the diner, bell a mere reminder of where he was as he leaves the building. Even from the entrance of Pops Archie can see Jughead in his car, leaned back and waiting. He didn’t leave the other waiting for too long did he? Time didn’t feel so, it felt too fast.

Soon enough he is walking up to the car, easily opening the door he slips into the driver seat and he is closing it once again. Jughead is drinking from his water bottle and even though he wants to take it from his hands he just stares at him before looking out the front of his car. Seat belt, yep. Is everything clear? Well out of the car it was it seemed. Driving out of the parking area the other doesn’t talk for a bit. But he does eventually.

“Inviting someone to our weekend? Archie I don’t know why you would do that but do you have a reason at all” Jughead whines and while Archie wants nothing more than to ask what is happening with his dad he is willing to play along.

“I don’t think she’s gonna call Jug I was just being nice okay, she’s a good person” saying this softly he doesn’t know how much he can say without saying everything.

“You have her number” Jughead tosses back and the redhead doesn’t know if he can dodge that at all.

“I don’t think she’s even gonna want to come so don’t panic” he gently corrects. What is he correcting? He didn’t answer.

Humming Archie knows that the other seems to understand this situation better than him already.

<> 

Betty doesn’t call. Not when they come home Archie holding Jughead up as he holds his bruised face. She doesn’t call Saturday night or Sunday morning though Archie isn’t sure why either. Looking at that website would be too much; he doesn’t want to think she would avoid him to do that. She did that before they talked…Just how important did the redhead think he could become to her so quickly.

Jughead’s in the spare bedroom on Sunday night and Archie is cleaning when he gets a call. Picking it up he puts it to his ear and hears, “Archie”.


	5. Chapter 5

The pillow he was holding is dropped back down onto the couch, though he doesn’t quite know that as his hand goes to grip it and well. There is nothing in his hand; his phone is being held so tight he is scared it is going to break. When he thought she was going to call, he figured it would be Sunday morning latest but, well. How could he complain about getting a call at ten at night instead?

“Betty, I. Is everything okay” he rushes it scared almost.

That feels like a loaded question to ask her that. Why wouldn’t she be okay? Was he letting on too much about how much he was aware? Though it was also so late at night and just how many people called so late at night? Hoping he isn’t breathing too harshly, he is at the edge of his toes waiting for her to speak.

“I’m sorry I didn’t get the chance to call you this weekend,” she says this tiredly, and Archie can’t quite note anything more than that at the moment. “Something happened, and I just wanted to talk to you? I mean, I wanted to ask how your English assignment has been going”. There is still nothing he can note from her voice.

Flopping on the couch, he can’t help but sigh with relief. He was just overthinking, maybe. Hopefully. Moving the pillow from underneath his but he’s not so gently dumping it to his left.

“I don’t think I have a single clue how even to start an essay talking about Shakespeare” admitting this he feels odd dumping his school woes on her but well. He doesn’t want the phone call to end with a simple ‘okay, I guess’.

She lightly chuckles, well he assumes she’s chuckling as the phone moves away from her and he just mostly hears the end of the noise. Leaning his head back on the couch, he wants to ask her to bring the phone back closer to her. When she does, he smiles softly, of course.

“Well, I mean it’s about knowing the content and adjusting it to the essay question. Um, I guess that doesn’t quite sound as straightforward as I thought it would” saying this softly to herself he can picture her biting at the corner of her lip. “At the end of the day it’s about knowing what you want to answer for the question, I mean. It’s about answering the essay and adding as much proof that you understand the text”.

Was she a tutor? Or was she just excited to talk about how to write the most proper essay possible? It’s nice, hearing her go on about something he only half gets. Part of him wants to ask if she was a tutor; maybe he could talk to her better over time. No, he would probably do something stupid.

“I don’t think I really understand the plot well enough to get a paragraph much less an essay. Something about it just seems so weird” breathing this out he half expects her to laugh, but she doesn’t. Of all the people Betty Cooper probably would not be the one person to laugh at something like that.

“I mean, Shakespeare isn’t something you can’t get from just reading alone. And well reading it alone isn’t quite the experience you should go for” she says this almost off handily, but it is still something she is adding.  “What about Othello is confusing you?” asking this Betty is easily the most patient person he has met.

Well, bar Jug, equal to Jug?

His mouth feels dry, and his tongue feels heavy all of a sudden as he answers, “there’s just so much character interaction and well. I’m not sure if I can describe how Othello himself evolves”. He doesn’t really remember anyone else’s name, and he is hoping that Othello was indeed a character in the work.

“I’ll send you my notes; there is a lot to unpack with that alone but—I think it’ll give you a starting point” offering this he can just tell she is probably looking around for her notes around her room and well. He can hear her moving around her room ever so subtlety.

“That would be great, thank you” sitting up on his spot as he says this, he can tell this phone call is almost over and as much as he hates it, he can’t really think of anything else.

She responds softly, really softly, and he wonders if she is trying to whisper on purpose? “It’s no problem at all Archie; I’ll see you at school tomorrow”. With that, she is hanging up, and he is left sitting on the couch staring at the black screen of his phone.

“Archie Andrews doing schoolwork, no English work on a Sunday night and me or your dad aren’t even with you,” a voice from the stairs says this teasingly. Happily? Well, it’s a good emotion, and that is enough to make Archie not feel quite as stressed. “If you were having trouble with Othello you do know I have the same class as you”.

Looking up to see Jug sitting on the stairs he almost wants to ask just how long he was sitting on them for. Was it from the beginning of the conversation? Was that possible, he feels like he’s blushing at the thought of Jug seeing him feel so nervous at the beginning of the call. He definitely heard him talk about Othello so it couldn’t have been only recently that he sat down.

“You’ve got enough on your plate without having to worry about my essay you know that” rushing this he hates the way Jughead looks at him when he said this. How many times had they had a conversation like this? That Jughead needed to not just worry about Archie and realise he had his own set of problems. Archie never had problems like the other did.

“It’s not like I’d have to rip out my spleen to help you make this essay Arch, I know it seems impossible for you to handle, but I’m not someone you have to worry over like this. My life sure isn’t perfect, but I’m perfectly capable of helping you” Jughead has never said it in such an insistent tone before.

“I, Jug I know you are more than capable of doing this. I know you could help me but what I’m trying to say this isn’t something that I want to put on your plate. This is nothing I; it’s just an essay” it feels like he is trying to convince himself this too.

The whole argument feels disjointed, this is a conversation they have had more than once in the past, but the way Jughead is staring at him feels like it’s brand new. Jughead looks tired; he should be it’s late in the night evidently why shouldn’t they sleep.

“Is it really just an essay to you Arch, is that all that is going on” and just like that it feels like Jughead is staring right through him like when they were kids.

“I promise if it was something more than an essay you know I would only be able to talk to you about it” lying comes out horrible from Archie usually, so it is no real surprise that it comes out just half choked as usual.

The other doesn’t argue though even if he picks up on the blatant lie, what could he say? Looking back up to the top of the staircase Jughead nods almost half to himself. Standing up, it is clear that Jughead isn’t going to stay downstairs for too much longer.

“Just don’t stay up too late now study bug, I expect you to be bright-eyed, bushy tail for your dad tomorrow” saying this as a joke it’s clear there is more than he wants to say.

Though the beanie-wearing male doesn’t stay in his line of sight long as he is quickly walking out of view, looking down to his lap his phone is glowing, and his notification system is helpfully saying that he has received photos. What was he doing, that argument? Was it really an argument with Jug when they argued it was over cake or something not so heavy and unfinished? Was he really talking about Jughead alone when he was saying of all of that?

Though he can’t see the room, he seeks from the first floor of his house; he doesn’t not look to where he assumes it would be. Would she be awake right now? It’s probably too late at night to be thinking of something like this. Unlocking his phone, he goes to see the notes she had sent.

She has really beautiful handwriting.

【 ☩ 】

It takes him a moment to find the energy to open his eyes, it’s a Monday sure and waking up on a Monday is always hard but well. There was no way him wanting to curl up in his sheets was just due to the Monday beginning of the weeks' blues surely. Moving the blankets from over his eyes, he doesn’t even bother stopping himself from looking over the curtain. He closed it. Last night he supposed before he just flopped onto his bed.

Standing up he’s walking over to the thing, it’s light under his hand and as he opens it all the ways across light litters into his room. Eyes looking around the room obviously hopefully he finds himself smiling softly as he sees a pink cardigan wearing young woman pick up something from the floor. As if sensing she was being watched her back straightens and she is looking over her shoulder.

Blue eyes look startled for a moment though they are quickly replaced with calm eyes and a small smile. Had she felt like this routine had not happened in a while as well? It had been less than a week, but less than a week could feel likes years if you were given the right set of circumstances.

As if clockwork, the redhead is lifting up his hand to give a wave, and if he is as honest as he can be seeing her wave back was pretty great. It was a bit colder than usual he reasoned as he brought his arm back to join his side but then when his arm is by his side…It would seem a shirt did not make it into his bedtime clothing for the night before. Her eyes don’t go wide as his arm is bare and part of him wonders if he could do the same to her if she was without the pink cardigan. What were they hiding that morning?

Moving his hand, his fingers are quickly spreading over the mark on his arm; she can’t see anyway. The irony does not escape him for a moment. A thick brow is raised as he notes that she is walking towards her dresser, but any question he could have had is answered when he sees her phone being picked up.

_B: daring winter pjs_

_Hope you wear something a bit more usual next time_

Chuckling at her message, he doesn’t know how much he is allowed to read into the message. Looking up from the phone, he sees she is just staring at him with a smile.

_A: I think I should_

_Thnk you for the notes:)_

If the other was going to type, she doesn’t as the sound of Jughead yelling out make both of them look up and away from their phones. Jughead didn’t yell for anything but food and maybe Archie depending on what the day is like. She nods and confused he nods, but it ends with her closing her curtain so, in the end, he doesn’t really know what he nodded for really.

Going over to the dresser, he slips on a t-shirt because regardless of the weather, his jacket was more than enough. His jacket. Just to be safe, he would wear it for a day or more just until it healed properly.

_B: don’t want you to drop a grade_

_If you need anything else, let me know_

Looking up from his phone, he knows he has an open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Othello so I couldn't resist not adding it~  
> How long do you think Archie can hold his tongue with what is happening?  
> Thank you for the support on this it means so much to me


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